Middle East

Overview

Set in the heart of Southeast Asia, Malaysia is easily accessible from most parts of the world by air, surface and sea links.

Over 45 international airlines fly into the country while national carrier Malaysia Airlines has a global network that spans six continents and a national network that covers more than 36 local destinations.

By Air

The main gateways to Malaysia are the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at Sepang which is about 50Km south of the KL city center and the low cost carrier airport (Lapangan Terbang Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah) at Subang which is about 16km west of the city centre. From both of these the country is well serviced by 14 domestic airports including those in Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan in East Malaysia.

Low cost carrier airport

From KLIA, KL city is a 28-minute journey away on the comfortable KLIA Ekspres, a high-speed rail service. Car rental, bus, coach, taxi, and limousine into Kuala Lumpur and neighbouring towns are widely available at both airports.

By Sea

Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia are easily accessible via sea ports. Port Klang, about 35km west of KL city center is Malaysia’s largest modern sea port where the Star Cruise Terminal - the largest cruise ship terminal in the Asia-Pacific region - is situated. Other major sea ports are located on the islands of Penang and Langkawi in the north of the Peninsular, at Johor to the south, at Kuantan on the East Coast and at Kota Kinabalu in Sabah.

‘Ferry Link’ operates a vehicle ferry service from Changi Point in Singapore to Tanjung Belungkor, the gateway to the popular southern peninsular beach resort of Desaru.
For reservations call +602-545 3600 (Changi Point) or +607-252 7408 (Bandar Penawar, Johor).

By Road and Rail

Located 48km north of Alor Star in the northern state of Kedah, Bukit Kayu Hitam is the main entry point into Malaysia for visitors from Thailand. The North-South Expressway links Bukit Kayu Hitam to Kuala Lumpur – 490km away.

Situated on the main rail route with a daily train service from Bangkok, Padang Besar - in Malaysia's northernmost state of Perlis - is another entry point. Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) or Malayan Railway provides an international express from Butterworth to Haadyai in Thailand, and regular services from Padang Besar to Singapore (via Kuala Lumpur).

The exclusive Eastern and Oriental Express also romances the route from Bangkok to Singapore via Kuala Lumpur. Covering the entire length of the Peninsular - over 2,000 km, this two-day journey has frequent stops at scenic locations.

For visitors entering from Singapore the Causeway provides the main road and rail link to Johor Bahru from where the North-South Expressway links Johor Bahru with Kuala Lumpur - 220km to the north. A second bridge at Tuas links Singapore to Tanjung Kupang which is 30km south-west of Johor Bahru.